Minors Report: Ex-Cav Harris inks with Canton

Guard Manny Harris (6-5) is back with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. The Canton Charge, thanks to the NBA Development League’s player affiliate rule, which allows D-League teams to acquire up to three players who were waived from their affiliate’s NBA training camp, added Harris in late-December.

Canton waived forward Jonathan Blake to make room on the roster for Harris, who averaged 5.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 17.3 minutes in 54 games for the Cavaliers last season an undefeated free agent.

Canton boasts a deep backcourt that also includes point guards Keith McLeod and T.J. Campbell and guards Antoine Agudio, Kyle Gibson and Antonio Graves.

BUCKS ASSIGN HOBSON TO MAD ANTS: The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned guard/forward Darington Hobson (6-7) to D-League affiliate Fort Wayne. Hobson, a rookie out of New Mexico, appeared in both of Milwaukee’s regular-season games prior to drawing the assignment. He averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 assists in two games with the Bucks.

Milwaukee selected Hobson with the 37th overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft. Hobson sat out the 2010-11 season after undergoing surgery to repair both of his hips. The former New Mexico standout was re-signed by the Bucks on Dec. 10.

IOWA TRADES COLLINS TO LOS ANGELES: The Iowa Energy has acquired two 2012 third round draft picks from the Los Angeles Defenders in exchange for guard Mardy Collins (6-6) and the its eighth round draft pick in 2012.

The Energy acquired both L.A’s third round pick as well as Tulsa’s third round pick, which had been obtained by the D-Fenders in a previous trade.

Collins was acquired by the Energy as an affiliate player. He has played four seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks and L.A. Clippers. Collins was in training camp with the Washington Wizards when he was acquired as an affiliate player. Collins has career averages of 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

WIZARDS WAIVE CUNNINGHAM: The Dakota Wizards has waived 6-6 forward Larriques Cunningham to make room on its roster for forward Marcus Dove.

Cunningham, after joining Dakota on Dec. 9, appeared in two games, averaging two minutes and two rebounds.

Dove is back in Dakota following a stint in NBA Training Camp with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and an assist in four games for the Wizards earlier in the season.

FAZEKAS NO LONGER WITH BIGHORNS: After averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds in six games, 6-foot-11 center Nick Fazekas is no longer with the Reno Bighorns. Following a successful collegiate career at Nevada, Fazekas played one season in the NBA. He has also played overseas, where he opted to return following his stint in the D-League.

DAWSON REJOINS TOROS: Forward Eric Dawson is back for a second stint with the Austin Toros. Dawson averaged 23.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals in three games for Union Monaco last season. His professional experience also includes stints in the Dominican Republic, Japan and Korea. Dawson is in his fifth professional season.

LA DEFENDERS GO GREENE: The Los Angeles D-Fenders recently agreed to terms with 29-year old guard Orien Greene, an experienced minor league player. Greene averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in six games for the Halifax Rainmen earlier this season. He has also played professionally in Australia, Canada, China, Holland, Israel and Venezuela. Greene is logging minutes in his seventh professional basketball season.

TULSA SIGNS RICHARDSON: The Tulsa 66ers, affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, recently signed guard Nolan Richardson. A first-year professional player out of Midwestern State, Richardson attended a local tryout staged by the Tulsa team in October and competed at 66ers training camp in November.

STAMPEDE FORWARD ELLIS SUFFERS SEASON-ENDING INJURY: Idaho Stampede forward Jason Ellis (6-7) suffered a season-ending injury in Idaho’s 87-100 loss to Bakersfield in December. Ellis, a former standout at Boise State, averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in five games for the Stampede prior to suffering the injury.

ROCHESTER DEFEATS SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE IN OPENER: The Rochester Razorsharks opened the 2012 PBL season with a win over the weekend, defeating the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Steamers 107-98 in front of 6,017 fans at the Blue Cross Arena.

Jerice Crouch led Rochester with 21 points, four assists and two steals in the season-opener.

KEATHLEY TABBED SAUK VALLEY HEAD COACH: Former East Kentucky Miners head coach Kevin Keathley is now guiding the Premier Basketball League’s Sauk Valley Predators. Earlier in his coaching career, Keathley was named one of the top 10 coaches not in the NBA by Probasketballnews.com. He is a former ABA Coach of the Year award-winner. Keathley also earned a CBA Coach of the Month honor during his two-year stint as head coach of the East Kentucky Miners.

The Predators are part of the Premier Basketball League’s Central Division along with the Chicago Muscle, Northwest Indiana Stars, Central Illinois Drive, Indiana Diesels and the St. Louis Phoenix. The PBL’s Eastern Division is made up of the Lake Michigan Admirals, Charleston Gunners, Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers, Dayton Air Strikers and the Rochester Razorbacks.